Don’t underestimate the power of God in our lives

By Kitty Rankin

Published: Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 04:55 PM.

I have had a personal relationship to Jesus Christ for many, many years. I believe that my closeness to God developed more while living in Philadelphia, where I had no support from family and friends. Usually, it takes a crisis to come back to God, but in my case, this was the closest crisis that I was experiencing. I moved to attend what was considered the best textile design school. At the time, it was called the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science.

I took an art class where most of my classmates had taken art for years. I had only two art classes prior to my taking this class. Talk about a fish out of water! I wondered what I was doing there, and I felt really stupid.

I felt more stupid when we were given our final art project to hand in a three dimensional origami piece. Origami is Japanese paper folding where you cut with a mat knife into the paper, but you don’t cut all the way through the paper. Then, on the opposite side, you bend it where the cut was made. All the bends of the paper were to produce a three dimensional design. I had never done origami in my life. I had no clue how to do this project.

The art instructor gave us three weeks to complete the assignment. That may not sound like much to you, but it seemed like an eternity as the majority of our assignments were quick. I don’t remember praying during those three weeks. I don’t wait until the last minute to do things, so I began to work. I worked and worked and nothing would come. Talk about being panicked. I didn’t have anything to hand in the night before it was due. I was scared to death, as I knew that I might flunk this class.

I prayed and this is what I said: “I don’t care what it looks like. I just want to hand something in. Would you, please, help me, God?” Very often, we tell God what we want in our prayers, myself included. We put parameters on God.

I began to cut and gorgeous shapes took place. I looked up and looked down. I said, “You are good!” I had all these gorgeous shapes like snowflakes to hand in. I wished for all my friends to be in that room when I completed that art project. It was so unbelievable!

One of my classmates saw my finished project. I had taken all the squares and glued them together and glued them to the surface of a sheet. They looked like window panes. She said, “Kitty, have you ever been to the Epcot Center at Disney World?” “No,” I replied. She said, “Your final art project looks like the Epcot Center.” Years later I stood looking at the Epcot Center and said, “There is my final art project.”

I have had a personal relationship to Jesus Christ for many, many years. I believe that my closeness to God developed more while living in Philadelphia, where I had no support from family and friends. Usually, it takes a crisis to come back to God, but in my case, this was the closest crisis that I was experiencing. I moved to attend what was considered the best textile design school. At the time, it was called the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science.

I took an art class where most of my classmates had taken art for years. I had only two art classes prior to my taking this class. Talk about a fish out of water! I wondered what I was doing there, and I felt really stupid.

I felt more stupid when we were given our final art project to hand in a three dimensional origami piece. Origami is Japanese paper folding where you cut with a mat knife into the paper, but you don’t cut all the way through the paper. Then, on the opposite side, you bend it where the cut was made. All the bends of the paper were to produce a three dimensional design. I had never done origami in my life. I had no clue how to do this project.

The art instructor gave us three weeks to complete the assignment. That may not sound like much to you, but it seemed like an eternity as the majority of our assignments were quick. I don’t remember praying during those three weeks. I don’t wait until the last minute to do things, so I began to work. I worked and worked and nothing would come. Talk about being panicked. I didn’t have anything to hand in the night before it was due. I was scared to death, as I knew that I might flunk this class.

I prayed and this is what I said: “I don’t care what it looks like. I just want to hand something in. Would you, please, help me, God?” Very often, we tell God what we want in our prayers, myself included. We put parameters on God.

I began to cut and gorgeous shapes took place. I looked up and looked down. I said, “You are good!” I had all these gorgeous shapes like snowflakes to hand in. I wished for all my friends to be in that room when I completed that art project. It was so unbelievable!

One of my classmates saw my finished project. I had taken all the squares and glued them together and glued them to the surface of a sheet. They looked like window panes. She said, “Kitty, have you ever been to the Epcot Center at Disney World?” “No,” I replied. She said, “Your final art project looks like the Epcot Center.” Years later I stood looking at the Epcot Center and said, “There is my final art project.”

When I went to pick up my project and grade, I couldn’t find it anywhere. There was note left by my instructor who said, “I have kept your final art project to put it on display in the textile hall.” Also, I received an “A.” I know now that God was being put on display. That is what the power of God can do in our lives. Yes, it is unbelievable!

Gaston County resident Kitty Rankin is former pastor of John Knox Presbyterian Church in Shelby. She is currently writing a book about her journey to the ministry.